Fall festival music guide

A woman on the ferris wheel is reflected in a vendor's window during the Rice Festival in Winnie in 2009. Tammy McKinley/cat5

There’s more to love about fall than sweaters and scarves — in these parts, there are festivals. A lot of ‘em.

As the weather, uh, cools off — kind of — we’ve got some bustling weekends ahead of us. Texas Gator Fest and the Texas Star Music Festival kick off the fall festival season this weekend with tons of live music, regional cuisine and beer gardens.

Since we’ve got so much live music headed our way at festivals between now and Thanksgiving, we thought we’d introduce you to a few of the acts that caught our attention. There’s plenty of Texas country and Zydeco, as usual, but a new festival at Tequila Rok in November will inject some indie rock and Celtic punk into your fall festival plans. And once again, Nutty Jerry’s Thank God for Texas Music Festival features some serious lyrical heavy-hitters.

Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
Genre: Swamp pop/funk/Zydeco When: 8:30 p.m. Friday Where: Texas Gator Fest
They don’t call him “The World’s Premier Zydeco Showman” for nothin’ — Louisiana-born Chubby Carrier puts on an incredibly entertaining show. Carrier’s 2010 release, “Zydeco Junkie,” took home a Grammy for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album and things are bound to get dancy when Carrier performs the title track from that album.

The Rankin Twins Genre: Texas country/pop/Southern rock When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Texas Gator Fest
We predict that identical twins April and Amy Rankin will one day win the Grammy for Most Adorable Texas Country Act Ever — that’s a thing, right? The Portland, Texas-born duo creates sugary sweet pop country with an awful lot of charisma, lovely vocal harmonies and super-cute outfits to boot.

Bri Bagwell Genre: Texas country/Red Dirt When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Texas Gator Fest
Performing just after the Rankin Twins in what promises to be a killer block of female-fronted country, independent country artist Bri Bagwell plays Gator Fest on Saturday night and her sweet, warm voice is country to the core. Born in New Mexico, she moved to Austin at age 18 to kick-start her music career and she puts on an engaging show whether she’s backed by a pedal steel-fueled band or strumming her guitar alone on stage.

Lee Greenwood Genre: Country When: 10 p.m. Saturday Where: Texas Star Music Festival
You might not know him by name, but you’ve heard Lee Greenwood before — well, unless you aren’t an American patriot. Which you are. Because this is Texas, dammit. Known for his patriotic anthem “God Bless the USA,” Greenwood headlines the Texas Star Music Festival in Vidor on Saturday night.

L’Angelus
Genre: Cajun/swamp pop/R&B When: 8 p.m. Fri., Oct. 5 Where: Texas Rice Festival
Louisiana quartet L’Angelus fuses Cajun fiddle, saxophone-driven swamp pop and New Orleans-style R&B to create an upbeat family-friendly show with a lot of energy. The band recently put out an album of hymns, making this four-piece quite popular in the Christian and Catholic music scenes.

Charlie Robison Genre: Texas country When: 8 p.m. Oct. 6 Where: Texas Rice Festival
Houston native Charlie Robison took to music after an injury in college ended his football career. His songs have been featured in TV shows like HBO’s “True Blood” and his latest album has plenty of songs lamenting — or perhaps celebrating — his 2008 divorce from one of the Dixie Chicks. His singer-songwriter brother Bruce plays a set just before Charlie.

George Jones Genre: George Jones When: Friday, Nov. 23 Where: Nutty Jerry’s Thank God for Texas Music Fest
Yeah, we listed George Jones’ genre as George Jones — can you think of a better way to describe The Possum? This beloved Vidor native helped set the tone for modern country music and this may very well be your last opportunity to see him live, as Jones announced in August that he would be retiring after this tour. What’s even better than seeing George Jones play one of his final shows? Seeing him alongside Texas country/Americana singer-songwriter Hayes Carll. Thank God indeed.

Photo courtesy of Randy Edwards

Hello Chief Genre: Indie rock When: Saturday, Nov. 17 Where: OTI Fest at Tequila Rok
Aside from some out-of-town gigs (opening for indie heavy-hitters like Akron/Family), we haven’t heard too much from Hello Chief lately — with members in college and side projects like Octopoodle and Mad Maude & the Hatters, this local three-piece keeps busy. For those who haven’t seen Hello Chief live, you’re in for a serious indie rock treat. This is by far one of the most all-around talented bands to come from our neck of the woods in a long time.

The Dead RabbitsGenre: Celtic punk/folk rockWhen: Saturday, Nov. 17Where: OTI Fest at Tequila Rok
Anybody down for a little Irish punk rock with a Texas twist? Of course you are. Houston band The Dead Rabbits is an eight-piece Irish band specializing in a modern twist on old standards and they put on the kind of show that will leave you feeling exhausted, entertained and probably a little whiskey-drunk.

“We do ‘rabbit versions’ of the old traditional Irish songs that everyone loves to hear in the pubs,” said lead singer Seamuis Strain.

OTI FestWhen: 2 p.m. Sat., Nov. 17Where: Tequila Rok, 260 Crockett St., BeaumontFeaturing: A hot dog-eating contest, cake walks, queso cookoff, face painting, art, magic, pinatas, Kung Fu movies, washers and ladder golf. There will also be stand-up comedy from local comedians Mike Lowing, Joseph Fuller, Jack Neil and Thomas Calvert, as well as performance art by James Hemmenway.Info: (409) 223-8472 or the Facebook event inviteCost: $12 or $10 if you bring three canned goods to benefit the Southeast Texas Food Bank. In addition to the canned goods a portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Humane Society of Southeast Texas and the food bank.Bands on the line-up: We Were Wolves, The Ramblin’ Boys, Hello Chief, DJ Elektrosaurus, Dear You, The Ruxpins, The Dead Rabbits, Andrew Strange, Six String Mafia, Johnny Jailbird & His Misdemeanors, Eviscerate The Proletariat, We Are Wombat, Soy and more.